The Rundown is one of Dwayne Johnson’s best action movies, but it also features a cameo from another action movie superstar. The Rundown was the first movie Johnson made after stepping away from his career as a wrestler. Directed by Pete Berg, it stars “The Rock” as a bounty hunter who travels to Brazil to find a runaway treasure hunter (played by Seann William Scott). The movie was not a success at the box office, but the strong reviews highlighted Johnson’s performance as a leading man and solidified him as a new action movie star.

The positive response to The Rundown led to Johnson starring in a number of action movie hits, like San Andreas, Rampage, and the Fast and Furious franchise. This helped make him arguably the biggest action star in Hollywood. However, even though The Rundown was not a huge hit, it featured a clever hint at the career Johnson was about to embark upon, courtesy of a true Hollywood icon.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Has A Small Cameo In The Rundown

Schwarzenegger Appears For A Matter Of Seconds

Arnold Schwarzenegger appears in The Rundown in a role that is so brief, it’s not hard to believe that a lot of fans missed it. The cameo from Schwarzenegger comes early in the movie as Dwayne Johnson’s character, Beck, is walking into a club to hunt down a target. As he is entering, Schwarzenegger walks past him on his way out of the club and tells Beck: “Have fun.”

The surprise from the audience at the unexpected appearance of Schwarzenegger is also shared by Beck, who does a double-take as the man walks past. The randomness of the cameo makes sense as it was not planned at all; Schwarzenegger happened to be near the set and dropped in to say hello to Johnson (via movieweb.com). Director Peter Berg then asked Schwarzenegger if he would appear in the movie, with Schwarzenegger agreeing so long as it happened immediately.

The Cameo Was Meant Past The Action Star Torch To Dwayne Johnson

Schwarzenegger & Johnson Saw Their Careers Briefly Overlapping

While there is not a lot of substance or screen time for Schwarzenegger in The Rundown, it is a symbolically important moment in the action movie genre. Schwarzenegger and Johnson literally crossing paths on screen in The Rundown came at a significant time for both actors. Schwarzenegger had enjoyed decades as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood with the Terminator franchise and movies like Eraser, True Lies, Predator, Commando, and more. However, when The Rundown came out in 2003, Schwarzenegger was prepping for a new career.

In 2003, Schwarzenegger stepped away from Hollywood when he became the Governor of California. Meanwhile, the early 2000s saw Johnson only beginning his acting career, eventually reaching heights that rivaled Schwarzenegger’s time in the action genre. Schwarzenegger’s line to Johnson, “have fun,” was seen as a “pᴀssing of the torch” moment as Schwarzenegger left action movie stardom behind, welcoming a new generation of action heroes to take his place.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Continued To Make Action Movies After The Rundown

Schwarzenegger Continues To Star In Action Movies

Schwarzenegger’s nod to Johnson in The Rundown was a nice moment, but it didn’t necessarily mean Schwarzenegger was done with action movies. During his time as Governor of California, Schwarzenegger largely stayed away from movies, save for a couple of cameos, including Arnold the World in 80 Days and the first movie in The Expendables franchise. Following the end of his political career in 2011, Schwarzenegger went back to making movies.

His first lead role after returning was the neo-Western action movie The Last Stand. While it was not a box office hit, critics noted that Schwarzenegger still had what it took as an action hero. While the actor also sought out more serious roles, like Maggie and Aftermath, he also stuck close to the action genre with the likes of Escape Plan, Sabotage, and two Terminator sequels. While Schwarzenegger’s return did not see him take away Johnson’s тιтle as the reigning action movie star which began with The Rundown, it proved he could still compete with the younger generation.

Source: movieweb.com